Effect of different atmospheres on the synthesis of Ba2CuGe2O7 single crystals

Morphological, compositional and magnetic properties of single crystals of Ba2CuGe2O7 grown in oxygen and in dry air have been investigated. It is shown that the use of different atmospheres influences the morphological and compositional characteristics, probably because of some secondary reactions, that occur on the surface of the sample when oxygen is used, but it does not change the structural and magnetic properties. In the case of samples grown in oxygen, a thin, dark superficial layer forms. In this layer impurity particles of BaCu2Ge2O7 are present, while the core is formed by pure Ba2CuGe2O7. © 2019, EDP Sciences, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.